Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) urged his fellow senators on Wednesday to avoid joining an “angry mob” during the confirmation process of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) for attorney general.
Graham met with Gaetz and Vice President-elect JD Vance on Wednesday morning. Vance took Gaetz and Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth around Capitol Hill to meet with key senators ahead of their confirmation hearings. Both Gaetz and Hegseth have been viewed as controversial picks, with some Republican senators publicly expressing their concern over Gaetz being tapped to head the Justice Department.
Gaetz, who has been one of President-elect Donald Trump’s most ardent supporters, was the subject of a DOJ sex trafficking investigation, but no charges were brought against him. The House Ethics Committee is also investigating the Florida Republican for alleged sexual misconduct. Gaetz resigned from Congress immediately after being nominated for attorney general, effectively ending the probe.
For the upcoming confirmation hearing, Graham asked his colleagues to neither “rubber stamp” Gaetz nor “be driven by a lynch mob.”
“I had a very good meeting with President Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, Matt Gaetz, and Vice President-elect JD Vance. I am committed to allowing the process to go forward in a manner consistent with past practices and fundamental fairness. This process will not be a rubber stamp nor will it be driven by a lynch mob,” Graham posted on X. “My record is clear. I tend to defer to presidential cabinet choices unless the evidence suggests disqualification. I fear the process surrounding the Gaetz nomination is turning into an angry mob, and unverified allegations are being treated as if they are true. I have seen this movie before.”
“I would urge all of my Senate colleagues, particularly Republicans, not to join the lynch mob and give the process a chance to move forward. After years of being investigated by the Department of Justice, no charges were brought against Matt Gaetz. This is something we should all remember,” the South Carolina senator added. “I would also urge my colleagues to go back to a time-tested process, receive relevant information, and give the nominee a chance to make their case as to why they should be confirmed. This standard – which I have long adhered to – has served the Senate and country well.”
The House Ethics Committee is reportedly gathering on Wednesday afternoon behind closed doors as some on Capitol Hill call on the committee to release what it has on Gaetz. The committee chair, Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS), has not said if he supports releasing any report. Assuming all Democrats on the committee vote to release the information on Gaetz, only one Republican would need to approve, The Hill reported.
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“There’s not enough money in the world to pay me to serve on the Ethics Committee right now,” one House Republican said, according to The Hill. “Those members are definitely in an unenviable position.”
Trump nominated the 42-year-old Gaetz for attorney general last week, calling him a “deeply gifted and tenacious attorney, trained at the William & Mary College of Law, who has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice.”
“Matt will root out the systemic corruption at DOJ, and return the Department to its true mission of fighting Crime, and upholding our Democracy and Constitution,” Trump added. “We must have Honesty, Integrity, and Transparency at DOJ. Under Matt’s leadership, all Americans will be proud of the Department of Justice once again.”
